Girlfriend takes stand in Mazzaglia murder trial

DOVER — The woman who told police Elizabeth "Lizzi" Marriott was planning to visit Kathryn "Kat" McDonough and Seth Mazzaglia at their Sawyer Mill apartment on the night Marriott died took the witness stand in Mazzaglia's murder trial Thursday.

EDITOR'S NOTE: This story may contain graphic descriptions of sex and/or violence that some readers may find offensive. Foster's believes that such descriptions are crucial to the reporting of this murder trial and readers' understanding of it.

DOVER — The woman who told police Elizabeth "Lizzi" Marriott was planning to visit Kathryn "Kat" McDonough and Seth Mazzaglia at their Sawyer Mill apartment on the night Marriott died took the witness stand in Mazzaglia's murder trial Thursday.

Mazzaglia has been charged with the rape and murder of Marriott, who was a 19-year-old University of New Hampshire student. Prosecutors claim that Mazzaglia choked Marriott from behind with a rope while she sat on a couch in his apartment on Mill Street in Dover on the night of Oct. 9, 2012.

Assistant Attorney General Peter Hinckley told the jury Wednesday that after Marriott could no longer object to Mazzaglia's sexual advances because of the choking, he pushed her underwear out of the way and raped her while McDonough, 19, did nothing to help render aid to Marriott.

Hinckley portrayed Mazzaglia as a bondage, domination and sadomasochism "master" who treated McDonough as a "submissive slave." Hinckley said Mazzaglia ordered McDonough to find him another woman to dominate in a sexual way prior to meeting Marriott on Oct. 2, 2012. The couple even posted ads online looking for a sexual slave to do light housework.

Brittany Atwood, 26, described as Marriott's first girlfriend, entered the courtroom Thursday wearing a sheer, salmon-colored dress shirt and black capris pants that revealed tattoos on her right calf. Atwood's short, dark hair was swept to the side. She wore glasses and spoke confidently while answering questions from the prosecution and defense attorneys.

Mazzaglia leaned back in his chair at the defense table while he listened to Atwood's testimony.

A Hudson, Mass., medical receptionist, Atwood told Hinckley that she became good friends with Marriott in January of 2012 and that they became romantically involved in February or March of that year. Atwood met Marriott while working at a Stop and Shop in Massachusetts.

Atwood said the last message she received from Marriott was sent at 8:55 p.m. on Oct. 9, the night she was allegedly killed.

It said, "You're so cute!"

Atwood said she sent Marriott two text messages after that, one at 8:59 p.m. and 9:06 p.m., but Marriott did not respond.

Marriott's father, Robert, started crying in the front row of the courtroom during this part of the testimony. Her mother, Melissa, placed her head on his right shoulder, as she has done often during the last two days of testimony.

Atwood said that on Oct. 10, the morning after Marriott's death, she "started to get worried. I called Lizzi's parents."

Atwood sent multiple text messages to Marriott's phone and tried to reach her through Facebook, she said. After law enforcement was notified of Marriott's disappearance, Atwood told police Marriott was planning to be with McDonough after her chemistry lab class on the Oct. 9.

Hinckley showed the jurors a black sweatshirt with a “Q” on it that Atwood gave Marriott the Sunday before her death. He also brought up the toothbrush and brush Atwood gave police during the course of their investigation. Both belonged to Marriott and were exclusively used by her, Atwood said.

On cross examination, public defender Melissa Davis asked Atwood about stress in her own life, health problems and the challenges of living in a shared apartment with her sister.

"You described Lizzi with a variety of terms. Let me throw a few more at you. She was creative, she liked poetry, she liked music, she was artistic," Davis said with Atwood responding "yes" to each description.

"She was also into fantasy-type stuff," Davis said.

Atwood said Marriott liked anime and affirmed that she liked video games such as World of Warcraft. Marriott also like the book "Game of Thrones."

"She was also experimental, so if she wanted to try something, she was going to try it," Davis said.

Davis also asked Atwood about Marriott playing strip poker on the night she died.

"You did not get a text message that strip poker was being played?" Davis asked.

"No," Atwood said.

"You did not know that she was playing strip poker?" Davis asked.

"No," Atwood said.

"You didn't know she was playing strip poker that night until much later," Davis said.

"I didn't know at all," Atwood said.

After she got down from the witness stand, Atwood sat next to Marriott's father and mother in the front row of the courtroom.